


Do you wanna watch something?

by stjarna



Series: Season 4 - Coda Challenge [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Coda Challenge, Domestic!Fitzsimmons, Episode: s04e01 The Ghost, F/M, Pre-/Post-Snuggle Scene, Spoilers, Tumblr: thefitzsimmonsnetwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 18:28:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8112772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stjarna/pseuds/stjarna
Summary: Written for The "Season 4, Episode 1 - The Ghost" Coda Challenge organized by The Fitzsimmons Network on Tumblr.Summary in the Notes section, as additional spoiler protection for those who have not seen the episode.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Writing prompts:  
> • What happened before or after we saw Fitz and Simmons cuddling  
> • Jemma asks Fitz about his evening at Radcliffe’s
> 
> Title obviously an homage to Jed Whedon.

“Hey,” he says and hangs up his jacket on the hooks next to the door. It was late. Much later than he had intended.

“Hey,” she says and smiles at him. She puts the tablet she had been reading on the nightstand, before leaning over to accept his quick good-to-be-back kiss.

“How was your day?” he asks her.

She closes her eyes and sighs, “I would have _much_ rather spent it with you watching football at Radcliffe’s.”

“What happened?” he asks while he opens his top drawer and pulls out a T-shirt and sweat pants.

“I finally snapped at May,” she admits begrudgingly, “I mean, I’ve tried to keep up appearances, so that the Director doesn’t get suspicious, but I just couldn’t take her aggressiveness anymore.”

“So, you told her?” he asks, and begins taking off his clothes in front of her to change into his choice of PJs.

“I had to,” she shrugs, “She went behind my back with something; and _of course_ I found out about it, which left me in an incredibly difficult position, and she kept implying hat I was a fool to blindly follow the new Director and his agenda, and I… well, I just snapped.”

“How did May react?” he asks and walks to their bed.

“Honestly,” she replies and her eyes sparkle triumphantly, “I think I saw a _hint_ of respect in her eyes.”

He slips under the covers next to her, “Well, you deserve nothing less.”

She smiles at him and kisses him gently, “Thanks for your support,” she whispers against his lips and the sensation sends tingly shivers through his entire body.

He looks at her and laughs, “I almost wish I could have been there to witness you telling May off. I mean, remember how shy we used to be around her? I was _petrified_ of her to be quite honest! And she didn’t even _try_ to hide the fact that she considered us unfit to work in the field?”

She chuckles, “Yes, we’ve certainly come a long way.”

She pauses, “Enough of me. Did you have a good time? How was the game? How’s Radcliffe?”

“It was fine,” he replies and feels his body tense up, “We didn’t really watch a whole lot of the game. Got distracted.”

“He ended up pitching you new ideas, didn’t he?” she asks, and tilts her head to one side.

“Something like that,” he says, trying to avoid her eyes.

“Anything I should know about?” she asks and smiles at him.

“Nah,” he replies and forces himself to return the smile, “Do you wanna watch something?”

She hesitates for a split-second, before she answers him, “That would be lovely.”

He puts his arm around her and turns on the TV. She snuggles up against him, her head resting on his chest. He inhales the scent of her hair and kisses the top of her head.

 _Do you wanna watch something_ was their agreed upon code word. It let Jemma know not to ask any further. She couldn’t know. She had to pass the lie detector tests. Those damn lie detector tests. _Do you wanna watch something_ was the signal to let it go, that _yes_ , he was keeping something from her, but she didn’t need to worry about it.

His brain drowns out the noises from the TV. He can feel his stomach tighten as nausea and unease creep into every corner of his body. He hated having to keep the truth from her, but they had agreed that they needed to do everything they could to keep the Director’s trust in Jemma alive and well. She was the perfect person to ensure that the Director would not be able to tear their team apart completely. She was strong, brilliant, and even though some people considered her naïve, a bad liar, someone who followed the rules down to a _t_ , they both knew that she had way more up her sleeve than she let anyone see. They had agreed that if Fitz considered it necessary to keep information from her in order to protect her position, he should do it. He knew she hated it as much as he did, but it was a means to an end. She _had_ to keep her position. They needed to keep a modicum of control over the new situation, the new Director, the new systems and regulations.

But this time around, it was harder to stick to their plan. This was bigger than anything they had imagined he would have to hide. He wanted to tell Jemma so badly. He could use her help, her expertise. Together it would be so easy to perfect AIDA.

If Radcliffe was building AIDA for the reasons he had laid out, then she was a brilliant invention. He didn’t always trust Radcliffe’s motives, but he had promised Jemma that nothing would tear them apart again, and he knew how much the loss of their friends pained her. He wanted to prevent future pain, for himself as much as for her, and a life model decoy seemed like a perfect solution, **_if_** they could ensure that AIDA would not be able to become a danger.

She would have to be designed and programmed perfectly; to leave the Director with no choice but to approve the project. _That_ was something Fitz _didn’t_ trust Radcliffe with. He had to get involved himself. And he wanted her to be involved as well. But he couldn’t risk telling her. He couldn’t risk her being forced to tell the Director. He couldn’t risk having the project cut down. He needed more time. He needed AIDA; he needed her to become the shield.

He looks down at Jemma and sees that she has fallen asleep. Her hand is lying on his chest, and he can feel her steady breathing through the thin fabric of his T-shirt. He reaches around her with his free arm and carefully pulls her closer, trying his best not to wake her. He places another kiss on her head and closes his eyes, deliberately slowing down his breathing to calm himself.

She was what mattered most to him. He couldn’t live in a world that didn’t have her in it. He had to protect her, by all means necessary.

He would supervise Radcliffe. They wouldn’t be able to incarcerate Radcliffe if he supervised him along the way; he would take the blame himself. Possibly losing his rank, even his job was worth it, if it meant creating something that could protect her and their friends.

He couldn’t tell her right now. He couldn’t. He had to stick to their plan.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I *don't* think that in the show Jemma and Fitz have agreed that Fitz would have to keep secrets from Jemma, but the idea popped into my mind, and it somehow gave me comfort to think that it's all part of their big plan, and there are no secrets between those two anymore.


End file.
